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Catholic Guided Tour of the Relics of Jesus' Passion in Rome

Our most popular pilgrim tour in Rome, the Passion of Christ Tour is the ideal guided tour for those visiting the Catholic pilgrimage sites in Rome.

When the Roman Empire embraced the faith it once persecuted, it exploded into a frenzy of observance for the history and truth of the Christian faith manifest in the literary, the artistic and the relics of the early Christian church. Many of these were then brought to the then capital of the world - Rome.

On this tour expect to have an intimate encounter with the Relics of the Passion of Jesus Christ - physical objects which were used in his torture and death, and which were brought to Rome from Jerusalem by St Helena - the mother of Emperor Constantine.

We begin our tour with a visit to one of the oldest Churches dedicated to Theotokos (Mother of God) in Rome - the Basilica of St Mary Major - containing, beneath its center altar, wood from the manger in which the baby Jesus once lay. The church adorned by every epoque of Italian art history even holds the body of the devout baroque artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

We then walk over to the Basilica of Santa Prassede, built in the 8th century, which holds some of the finest examples of medieval Christian art and holds a fragment of the pillar upon which Christ was flogged.

Only a few yards away we then enter the church of San Alfonso Ligouri to see the beautiful 15th century Byzantine icon “Our Lady of Perpetual Help / Succour” also known as the Virgin of the Passion or Theotokos of the Passion.

After we visit the Church of the Holy Stairs / Steps (Santa Scala) brought from Jerusalem by St Helena (mother of Roman Emperor Constantine) and so named because they are the steps which led to the praetorium of the then Roman procurator - Pontius Pilot. Since Our Lord Jesus descended those very steps in condemnation, all pilgrims ascend them on their knees.

From there we visit the Cathedral of Rome, the Basilica of Saint John Lateran (San Giovanni Laterano) and finally enter a Church built by St Helena. The church built over spread earth brought with relics from Jerusalem was her personal chapel holding, to this day, relics of the Passion of Christ including those of the Holy Sepulcher, the Cave of Bethlehem, a Nail of The Crucifixion, a Thorn of The Crown and a small walnut board reading Jesus the Nazarene king of the Jews.

All pilgrims who join us on this once in a lifetime Catholic pilgrimage tour will be given time to reflect and pray as part of their religious tour experience.

Highlights

Highlights of this tour include:

Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St Mary Major)

Santa Presede & Pillar of Christ's Scourging

Sant' Alfonso Liguri Titulare Church

Holy Steps

Papal Basilica of San Giovanni

Basilica of Santa Croce (Holy Cross)

Start Times

3:30pm (Mondays, Wednesdays & Saturdays)

Duration

3 hours

Reputation

Meeting Point

At the fountain in front of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore

Guide Fees

Entrance Tickets

Taxes

Skip the Line Voucher

Transport Costs During Tour

Highlights

Highlights of this tour include:

Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St Mary Major)

Santa Presede & Pillar of Christ's Scourging

Sant' Alfonso Liguri Titulare Church

Holy Steps

Papal Basilica of San Giovanni

Basilica of Santa Croce (Holy Cross)

15 Reviews

Five remarkable tours with fantastic guides

02 March 2018

My husband and I were making our first trip to Rome on a four day visit. We wanted to experience as much as we could in that time and it was important to us to experience Rome from the perspective of our Catholic faith. We are so grateful we found Eternal City Tours. What a wonderful, knowledgeable group of people. We did 5 tours - the Coliseum, St. Peter and St. Paul, Baroque Churches, Passion of Christ and Vatican. They were amazing. We learned about history and our faith from tour guides who were serious about their Catholic faith, students of history, theology, or art history and more. Chad, Blitch, James, John, and Andrea were a wealth of knowledge - personable - and often went over and above with personal touches - showing us a favorite coffee shop or restaurant - and helping us find our way at the end by walking with us, taking us to the Metro, etc. Andre's knowledge of art brought so much to the Vatican tour. Our faith was enriched through this experience. And it was fun! Tom made the planning easy - responding to all my questions and emails - and every detail was perfectly planned. When we come back to Rome we will definitely be scheduling additional tours with Eternal City. We highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Kathleen - Florida, USA

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Informative, Fun, Catholic

28 November 2017

My wife and I took our two children to Rome for the first time and for the first time, I organized tours, something I have avoided since taking a tour some years ago that was bereft of any Catholic content.
I found Eternal City Tours online and found immediately they are faithful Catholics eager to share their love of Rome and their love of the faith. We learned so much and also saw the hearts of our tour guides.
We took three three-hour tours: Passion of the Christ, Colosseum and Roman Forum, and Vatican Museum/St. Peters.

Reviewed by Austin - Washington, USA

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Fascinating

09 November 2017

Our tour started at the beatiful Santa Maria Maggiore with John, our tour guide. The walk is a fascinating trip through incredible buildings, each with its own unique architecture, artworks and relics of Christ. John was an excellent host with great knowledge, and he knew when to give us additional time to fully appreciate the beauty and significance of what we were seeing. This tour is well worth considering.

Reviewed by Simon - Australia

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You Won't Regret It !

01 November 2017

Our tour with Marc our personal guide was the culmination of a very spiritual journey for my wife and I. Marc was an affable, well informed guide, attentive and articulate.
We loved the personal attention we got (small group). Your choice of tour guide did not disappoint and your efficiency and communication to us was excellent.We highly recommend this company. You would not regret it.

Reviewed by Wilfred - Trinidad

Was this helpful?

Passion of Christ Tour

09 October 2017

If you are going to Rome and wish to experience the many churches Rome has to offer, then this tour company is for you. My wife and I were making our second trip to Rome in two years and wanted to see what we missed the first time. We did the Passion of Christ Tour with Adrian. There were just 2 couples(including us) on this tour. At each church Adrian took his time to explain the highlights within and answered all questions. The highlight of this tour are the Holy Stairs. The same stairs that Jesus descended in condemnation. Last year our tour did not allow enough time to ascend them but Adrian said if we wanted to that it was our tour and we had time. It was an amazing but painful experience. The next evening was Mary & the Saints Tour. James, our guide was fantastic. We had the tour all to ourselves. As with the night before the information that was given was given as we strolled from one church to another was amazing. From the beginning you could see James had a passion for what he does. We were walking by a church which was not on the itinerary but he said we had to stop because there was something special inside. He did this a couple of times. He wanted us to see everything possible. James and Adrian had different approaches but each delivered a faith filled tour. Thank you both for 2 wonderful evenings.

Reviewed by Warren - USA

Was this helpful?

Our Guide Paul Was Great

30 July 2017

The Passion of Christ tour was very impressive. Our guide Paul knew just about everything you could want to know and really helped us understand the incredible history behind the sights. The tour includes some amazing relics and the Basilica of Saint John Lateran was beautiful.

Reviewed by John - Texas

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Thank you!!

20 June 2017

Blitch (Passion of Christ Tour) and Mark Anthony (Vatican Tour) were wonderful. Couldn't even remotely compare to the experience we would have had one our own. Thank you!!

Reviewed by Amy L - UK

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Must Join Tour Operator!

29 May 2017

We spent a week in Rome with 3 different tour operators/companies and must say that Eternal City Tours is THE BEST. We wanted to join The Passion of Christ tour but there was no tour available on the date we wanted to do it on Viator so we contacted Eternal City directly and they had arranged a private tour for us on our selected date for the same price. We also joined The St. Peter and St. Paul walking tour which not many tour operators offer. Our guides Blitch and Paul were both very nice, knowledgeable and explained clearly. Those two tours are really worth doing as Eternal City would bring you to the non-typical sites. As a non-Catholic/Christian, we have found both tours very interesting on both historical and architectural perspectives and would be more so if people go to Rome for pilgrimage. Highly recommend Eternal City Tours to anyone

Reviewed by Daisy L - Hong Kong, China

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Passion of Christ Tour

12 May 2017

Excellent tour! If you are interested in seeing the relics of Christ and others, then this tour is a must. Our guide Paul was informative and answered all of our questions. My husband and I will be recommending his tour to our family members the next time they come to visit Rome.

Reviewed by Monique D - USA

Was this helpful?

Amazing Passion of Christ Tour

21 February 2017

Our guide Blitch is amazing! Since i travel with two elderlies, my dad being 83 and my mom, 71, he was mindful of the walking, the distance and even the going up and down the stairs. He is kind and genuine. What I love about him is his care for my parents and that he was very keen on our needs. He had tissues ready when i was crying, i hand ready for my dad and even went up the stairs of Santa Scala, on his knees to be with my dad. He is very knowledgable about the places we visited and beyond that, it was his passion and enthusiasm that would infect you right away. His faith and spirituality , his kind heart, emanates as he serves others. He even got me a very sweet gift just because i asked about St. Matthew and he remembered that tiny detail, giving me a card of St. Matthew. I will definitely recommend Eternal City Tours, most especially Blitch! He even took photos of us while we were caught up in the church visits. This is worth it!

Reviewed by Carelle M - USA

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Super guide

16 November 2016

Great Tour. Easy to organise. Super guide.

Reviewed by Mrs Monica F.R. - USA

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Great Tour

15 November 2016

Great Tour. The guide had an excellent knowledge of the Basilicas and histories of each. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Greg M - USA

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Excellent Tour, Excellent Guide.

17 August 2016

Excellent tour, excellent guide, He took us to churches and to see relics off the beaten path. Paul was our guide. Highly recommended if you like churches and relics of Christ.

Reviewed by Frederick C. - USA

Was this helpful?

The Best Rome Tours

18 July 2016

Great tour, made our vacation memorable, highly recommended! We've been to Rome before with other tours, but this was our best tour ever. They knew every detail, adapted the tour to our interests. Both tours guides were experts in historical and religious background - which made for great tours. They kept us out of crowds where possible and quickly adapted the tour to our interests. Overall outstanding group.
Our family of 5 booked the Passion of Christ tour. Blitch was enthusiatic and a great tour guide, he took us to amazing arfifacts that I could hardly believe existed in these other sites. Overall a highly enjoyable and amazing historical and religious tour. The whole family was intrigued and Blitch was a great tour guide for the adults and our teens.
We also did the Papal audience tour and this is where the preparations of Eternal City shined. They contacted us several months ahead when the Pope's schedule changed, savings us from dissapointment during our visit. As we really wanted to see a Papal address, they adapted the tour for our family to a in depth highlight of St. Peter's followed by an explanation and viewing of the Papal angelicus. We immensely enjoyed Paul as a tour guide. He had amazing knowledge of all things around the Vatican and we loved the tour. He did a great job of showing and describing St. Peter's giving us appreciation of the art and history in a way we never appreciated in previous tours.
Overall great, highly knowledgable and adaptable tour company. Definitely the best experience in our trips to Rome - present and past.

Reviewed by Michael - USA

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Highly Engaging, Thorough & Knowledgable!

23 June 2016

Our tour guide, James, for The Passion Of The Christ Tour was highly engaging, thorough and knowledgeable. He far exceeded our expectations; best tour we had on our 3 week trip to Italy and in all our years of travel. Highly recommend James and Eternal City Tours.

Reviewed by Alexandra - USA

Was this helpful?

Catholic Guided Tour of the Relics of Jesus' Passion in Rome

Our most popular pilgrim tour in Rome, the Passion of Christ Tour is the ideal guided tour for those visiting the Catholic pilgrimage sites in Rome.

When the Roman Empire embraced the faith it once persecuted, it exploded into a frenzy of observance for the history and truth of the Christian faith manifest in the literary, the artistic and the relics of the early Christian church. Many of these were then brought to the then capital of the world - Rome.

On this tour expect to have an intimate encounter with the Relics of the Passion of Jesus Christ - physical objects which were used in his torture and death, and which were brought to Rome from Jerusalem by St Helena - the mother of Emperor Constantine.

We begin our tour with a visit to one of the oldest Churches dedicated to Theotokos (Mother of God) in Rome - the Basilica of St Mary Major - containing, beneath its center altar, wood from the manger in which the baby Jesus once lay. The church adorned by every epoque of Italian art history even holds the body of the devout baroque artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

We then walk over to the Basilica of Santa Prassede, built in the 8th century, which holds some of the finest examples of medieval Christian art and holds a fragment of the pillar upon which Christ was flogged.

Only a few yards away we then enter the church of San Alfonso Ligouri to see the beautiful 15th century Byzantine icon “Our Lady of Perpetual Help / Succour” also known as the Virgin of the Passion or Theotokos of the Passion.

After we visit the Church of the Holy Stairs / Steps (Santa Scala) brought from Jerusalem by St Helena (mother of Roman Emperor Constantine) and so named because they are the steps which led to the praetorium of the then Roman procurator - Pontius Pilot. Since Our Lord Jesus descended those very steps in condemnation, all pilgrims ascend them on their knees.

From there we visit the Cathedral of Rome, the Basilica of Saint John Lateran (San Giovanni Laterano) and finally enter a Church built by St Helena. The church built over spread earth brought with relics from Jerusalem was her personal chapel holding, to this day, relics of the Passion of Christ including those of the Holy Sepulcher, the Cave of Bethlehem, a Nail of The Crucifixion, a Thorn of The Crown and a small walnut board reading Jesus the Nazarene king of the Jews.

All pilgrims who join us on this once in a lifetime Catholic pilgrimage tour will be given time to reflect and pray as part of their religious tour experience.

Highlights

Highlights of this tour include:

Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St Mary Major)

Santa Presede & Pillar of Christ's Scourging

Sant' Alfonso Liguri Titulare Church

Holy Steps

Papal Basilica of San Giovanni

Basilica of Santa Croce (Holy Cross)

Start Times

3:30pm (Mondays, Wednesdays & Saturdays)

Duration

3 hours

Reputation

Meeting Point

At the fountain in front of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore

Tour Booking | Eternal City Tours

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1. What I Want

Which Tour Type?

Standard You, the guide, & others. On set days. VIP Private You, & the guide only. On any day.

Customer Reviews

15

Five remarkable tours with fantastic guides

02 March 2018

My husband and I were making our first trip to Rome on a four day visit. We wanted to experience as much as we could in that time and it was important to us to experience Rome from the perspective of our Catholic faith. We are so grateful we found Eternal City Tours. What a wonderful, knowledgeable group of people. We did 5 tours - the Coliseum, St. Peter and St. Paul, Baroque Churches, Passion of Christ and Vatican. They were amazing. We learned about history and our faith from tour guides who were serious about their Catholic faith, students of history, theology, or art history and more. Chad, Blitch, James, John, and Andrea were a wealth of knowledge - personable - and often went over and above with personal touches - showing us a favorite coffee shop or restaurant - and helping us find our way at the end by walking with us, taking us to the Metro, etc. Andre's knowledge of art brought so much to the Vatican tour. Our faith was enriched through this experience. And it was fun! Tom made the planning easy - responding to all my questions and emails - and every detail was perfectly planned. When we come back to Rome we will definitely be scheduling additional tours with Eternal City. We highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Kathleen - Florida, USA

Was this helpful?

Informative, Fun, Catholic

28 November 2017

My wife and I took our two children to Rome for the first time and for the first time, I organized tours, something I have avoided since taking a tour some years ago that was bereft of any Catholic content.
I found Eternal City Tours online and found immediately they are faithful Catholics eager to share their love of Rome and their love of the faith. We learned so much and also saw the hearts of our tour guides.
We took three three-hour tours: Passion of the Christ, Colosseum and Roman Forum, and Vatican Museum/St. Peters.

Reviewed by Austin - Washington, USA

Was this helpful?

Fascinating

09 November 2017

Our tour started at the beatiful Santa Maria Maggiore with John, our tour guide. The walk is a fascinating trip through incredible buildings, each with its own unique architecture, artworks and relics of Christ. John was an excellent host with great knowledge, and he knew when to give us additional time to fully appreciate the beauty and significance of what we were seeing. This tour is well worth considering.

Reviewed by Simon - Australia

Was this helpful?

You Won't Regret It !

01 November 2017

Our tour with Marc our personal guide was the culmination of a very spiritual journey for my wife and I. Marc was an affable, well informed guide, attentive and articulate.
We loved the personal attention we got (small group). Your choice of tour guide did not disappoint and your efficiency and communication to us was excellent.We highly recommend this company. You would not regret it.

Reviewed by Wilfred - Trinidad

Was this helpful?

Passion of Christ Tour

09 October 2017

If you are going to Rome and wish to experience the many churches Rome has to offer, then this tour company is for you. My wife and I were making our second trip to Rome in two years and wanted to see what we missed the first time. We did the Passion of Christ Tour with Adrian. There were just 2 couples(including us) on this tour. At each church Adrian took his time to explain the highlights within and answered all questions. The highlight of this tour are the Holy Stairs. The same stairs that Jesus descended in condemnation. Last year our tour did not allow enough time to ascend them but Adrian said if we wanted to that it was our tour and we had time. It was an amazing but painful experience. The next evening was Mary & the Saints Tour. James, our guide was fantastic. We had the tour all to ourselves. As with the night before the information that was given was given as we strolled from one church to another was amazing. From the beginning you could see James had a passion for what he does. We were walking by a church which was not on the itinerary but he said we had to stop because there was something special inside. He did this a couple of times. He wanted us to see everything possible. James and Adrian had different approaches but each delivered a faith filled tour. Thank you both for 2 wonderful evenings.

Reviewed by Warren - USA

Was this helpful?

Our Guide Paul Was Great

30 July 2017

The Passion of Christ tour was very impressive. Our guide Paul knew just about everything you could want to know and really helped us understand the incredible history behind the sights. The tour includes some amazing relics and the Basilica of Saint John Lateran was beautiful.

Reviewed by John - Texas

Was this helpful?

Thank you!!

20 June 2017

Blitch (Passion of Christ Tour) and Mark Anthony (Vatican Tour) were wonderful. Couldn't even remotely compare to the experience we would have had one our own. Thank you!!

Reviewed by Amy L - UK

Was this helpful?

Must Join Tour Operator!

29 May 2017

We spent a week in Rome with 3 different tour operators/companies and must say that Eternal City Tours is THE BEST. We wanted to join The Passion of Christ tour but there was no tour available on the date we wanted to do it on Viator so we contacted Eternal City directly and they had arranged a private tour for us on our selected date for the same price. We also joined The St. Peter and St. Paul walking tour which not many tour operators offer. Our guides Blitch and Paul were both very nice, knowledgeable and explained clearly. Those two tours are really worth doing as Eternal City would bring you to the non-typical sites. As a non-Catholic/Christian, we have found both tours very interesting on both historical and architectural perspectives and would be more so if people go to Rome for pilgrimage. Highly recommend Eternal City Tours to anyone

Reviewed by Daisy L - Hong Kong, China

Was this helpful?

Passion of Christ Tour

12 May 2017

Excellent tour! If you are interested in seeing the relics of Christ and others, then this tour is a must. Our guide Paul was informative and answered all of our questions. My husband and I will be recommending his tour to our family members the next time they come to visit Rome.

Reviewed by Monique D - USA

Was this helpful?

Amazing Passion of Christ Tour

21 February 2017

Our guide Blitch is amazing! Since i travel with two elderlies, my dad being 83 and my mom, 71, he was mindful of the walking, the distance and even the going up and down the stairs. He is kind and genuine. What I love about him is his care for my parents and that he was very keen on our needs. He had tissues ready when i was crying, i hand ready for my dad and even went up the stairs of Santa Scala, on his knees to be with my dad. He is very knowledgable about the places we visited and beyond that, it was his passion and enthusiasm that would infect you right away. His faith and spirituality , his kind heart, emanates as he serves others. He even got me a very sweet gift just because i asked about St. Matthew and he remembered that tiny detail, giving me a card of St. Matthew. I will definitely recommend Eternal City Tours, most especially Blitch! He even took photos of us while we were caught up in the church visits. This is worth it!

Reviewed by Carelle M - USA

Was this helpful?

Super guide

16 November 2016

Great Tour. Easy to organise. Super guide.

Reviewed by Mrs Monica F.R. - USA

Was this helpful?

Great Tour

15 November 2016

Great Tour. The guide had an excellent knowledge of the Basilicas and histories of each. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Greg M - USA

Was this helpful?

Excellent Tour, Excellent Guide.

17 August 2016

Excellent tour, excellent guide, He took us to churches and to see relics off the beaten path. Paul was our guide. Highly recommended if you like churches and relics of Christ.

Reviewed by Frederick C. - USA

Was this helpful?

The Best Rome Tours

18 July 2016

Great tour, made our vacation memorable, highly recommended! We've been to Rome before with other tours, but this was our best tour ever. They knew every detail, adapted the tour to our interests. Both tours guides were experts in historical and religious background - which made for great tours. They kept us out of crowds where possible and quickly adapted the tour to our interests. Overall outstanding group.
Our family of 5 booked the Passion of Christ tour. Blitch was enthusiatic and a great tour guide, he took us to amazing arfifacts that I could hardly believe existed in these other sites. Overall a highly enjoyable and amazing historical and religious tour. The whole family was intrigued and Blitch was a great tour guide for the adults and our teens.
We also did the Papal audience tour and this is where the preparations of Eternal City shined. They contacted us several months ahead when the Pope's schedule changed, savings us from dissapointment during our visit. As we really wanted to see a Papal address, they adapted the tour for our family to a in depth highlight of St. Peter's followed by an explanation and viewing of the Papal angelicus. We immensely enjoyed Paul as a tour guide. He had amazing knowledge of all things around the Vatican and we loved the tour. He did a great job of showing and describing St. Peter's giving us appreciation of the art and history in a way we never appreciated in previous tours.
Overall great, highly knowledgable and adaptable tour company. Definitely the best experience in our trips to Rome - present and past.

Reviewed by Michael - USA

Was this helpful?

Highly Engaging, Thorough & Knowledgable!

23 June 2016

Our tour guide, James, for The Passion Of The Christ Tour was highly engaging, thorough and knowledgeable. He far exceeded our expectations; best tour we had on our 3 week trip to Italy and in all our years of travel. Highly recommend James and Eternal City Tours.

Reviewed by Alexandra - USA

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ABOUT ETERNAL CITY TOURS

Eternal City Tours is a not-for-profit guided tour company that exists to provide Catholic Tours of Rome & Italy, and to fund Catholic Education Scholarships for Eternal City Education NPO as part of Eternal City Group Ltd.